Germany’s industrial rebound showed little signs of slowing in July, when manufacturing orders chalked up another strong rise, but Europe’s largest economy is still far from returning to pre-crisis levels of activity.

Industrial orders rose by a larger-than expected 3.5 per cent in July, extending a 3.8 per cent increase in June, according to figures released on Monday by the economics ministry in Berlin. That added to evidence that economic growth in the third quarter would prove much stronger than hoped until even recently.